The landmark judgment that thwarted Shell's plans to explore for oil and gas off the Wild Coast of South Africa ought to be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) as it raises "novel issues of law" which are of "considerable importance" to the public at large, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has argued.
In the appeal brought by Shell, Impact Africa, and the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy – which the Gqeberha High Court heard on Monday, after which judgment was reserved – the three argued that there were compelling reasons for the case to be heard in the apex appeals court.
Opposing the leave for the appeal are the applicants, which include affected communities and nonprofit organisations Natural Justice, Greenpeace and Sustaining the Wild Coast, who have argued that the ruling was correct and that the appeal had an unlikely chance of success.